PRAYLO
ACT MORE LIKE A HUMAN BEING
This afternoon--I woke up, wanting you
You were gone
Wanting to hold what you freely give me Needing to know that you were mine and I yours
You were gone
Emptiness shook my body
Coldness held me very tight
Your departure told me, something is vacant
in you for me.
I hurt when I woke up this afternoon Just your words ringing in my ear. More like a human being--since when did we adopt phrases and drop discus- sions
Why I'm hurting--I don't really know You left me before I slept and you were gone
Still when I woke.
1978 A.S.
SISTER, MY HEART CRIES
Sister, my heart cries...
when we pass on the street and don't see each other. You say it's be-
cause of the "brother"
Sister, my heart cries...
that we can't communicate and edu- cate ourselves and the community ab- out our varied cultures.
Sister, my heart cries...
when we see each other at mostly white events and don't let our eyes meet, when i sit down next to you, and you move to another seat. Sister, my heart cries..
when you say you can't talk to me, yet you can talk to other wimmin about me.
Sister, my heart cries...
to know that we've learned our les- sons well from the white man--to distrust and despise. My black, red, yellow and brown sisters we must unite.
Sister, my heart cries...
we need each other to survive!
1981 Windy Sky
UNTITLED
I listen to soft music, on my stereo Different forms of love strokes. The candle placed purposely in the cof- fee table's center jumps at me. Flames shoot and flicker towards the room. No lights sooth my tired eyes, Resting my lead-filled neck and should- ers, I sigh.
Melodies from Quincy Jones' music bounce their way thru my head
Images of animated notes stepping in rythmic strokes.
The music lifts me and takes me into its bowels
I don't want to escape.
This space knows no fear or pain, just energy
Synchronizing my body's energy to Quin- cy's music, I enjoy.
Sadness falls over me, sucks me into its breast
As the melody changes its pace to pain Again my thoughts anchor themselves in
our sea
The waves fight each other to brush and bump our sky
I ache, my insides are swollen with pain love me, as rocky as our sea is, just love me
1978 A.S.
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